Fact of the Day

[warriorpirate]

12 hours ago, DarkRavie said:

Fact of the Day - METEOR SHOWER

Leonids from space.

 

Did you know... that a meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. Most meteors are smaller than a grain of sand, so almost all of them disintegrate and never hit the Earth's surface. Very intense or unusual meteor showers are known as meteor outbursts and meteor storms, which produce at least 1,000 meteors an hour, most notably from the Leonids. (Wikipedia)

 

 

I was planning to watch it here on Sunday... but the entire area is going to be cloudy!!!    

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - BOOKS

Birthday Book Printing, the fourth of the six Walk of Ideas

sculptures displayed in Berlin during 2006, represents a pile

of modern codex books.

 

Did you know... that the history of the books became an acknowledged academic discipline in the 1980s. Contributors to the discipline include specialists from the fields of textual scholarship, codicology, bibliography, philology, palaeography, art history, social history and cultural history. Its key purpose is to demonstrate that the book as an object, not just the text contained within it, is a conduit of interaction between readers and words. Prior to the evolution of the printing press, made famous by the Gutenberg Bible, each text was a unique hand crafted article, personalized through the design features incorporated by the scribe, owner, bookbinder and illustrator.[1] Analysis of each component part of the book reveals its purpose, where and how it was kept, who read it, ideological and religious beliefs of the period and whether readers interacted with the text within. Even a lack of evidence of this nature leaves valuable clues about the nature of that particular book. (Wikipedia)

 

BOOKS AND READING FOR THE FANATICAL BOOKWORM
by Laura-Blaise McDowell  |  MARCH 19, 2018

 

 

So, we all know reading is the greatest hobby there is. It allows you to escape into other lives, worlds, and galaxies, but it also allows you to learn new ideas, facts, and ways of interpreting and understanding the world around you. Not to mention it allows you to touch, smell, hold, rub your face on the beautiful, fragrant capsules of wonder known as books. Reading has been proven time and time again to make you happier and more empathetic, to make you smarter, even to deter diseases like Alzheimer's in some cases. Here are fourteen facts that will allow you to further justify the “sick day” that you just might take tomorrow.

 

 

1. There are over 130 million books in print. 

2. The word for loving the smell of old books is ‘Bibliosmia’. Similar to carbon-dating, scientists can analyze the chemicals responsible for “old book smell” to determine the age of a book.  The process is called “material degradomics”. 

3. The three most read books in the world are The Holy Bible, Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, and Harry Potter.

 

 

4. Nevada, Texas, and Mississippi have the highest ratio of customers to bookstores in the United States. 

5. Dr. Seuss invented the word ‘nerd’, using it in his 1950 book ‘If I Ran the Zoo.’  

6. 68% of books sold worldwide are bought by women. 

7.  The term ‘bookworm’ originates from insects who live in and feed on the binding of books.

 

 

8. The most expensive book in the world is the 1640 Bay Psalm Book, which sold for $14.2 million.  

 

 

9. The largest book in the world is the Klencke Atlas, which measures 1.75 meters tall, and 1.90 meters wide when open.  

10. Fools Of Nature by Alice Brown was the first book to be described as a ‘bestseller,’ in 1889.

11. 1453 saw the first ever book published: the Gutenberg Bible. It was printed by the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.  

12. Longest novel ever written is Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust, containing an estimated 9,609,000 characters. 

13. Tsundoku means “to let reading materials pile up in one’s home and never read them” in Japanese.  

14. Charles Dickens owned a bookcase which functioned as a secret door in his house, and was populated with fake books bearing amusing names including Jonah’s Account of the Whale, The Lives of a Cat which came in nine volumes, and The Art of Cutting Teeth. 

 

 

Reading has a phobia?

The fear of running out of something to read is called ‘Abibliophobia’.

 

The first novel written on a typewriter is said to be Mark Twain's Adventures Of Tom Sawyer.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - History of Books  |  Facts About Books and Reading

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

K.K. Davis's "The Little Drummer Boy"

was first recorded in 1950 as "Carol of the Drum"

 

Did you know.... that "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") is a popular Christmas song written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family Singers, the song was further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale; the Simeone version was re-released successfully for several years and the song has been recorded many times since. In the lyrics, the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the Infant, the little drummer boy played his drum with approval from Jesus's mother, Mary, recalling, "I played my best for him" and "He smiled at me".

 

Christmas Carol Histories: The Story Behind 'The Little Drummer Boy'
PENELOPE HART  |  SEP 12, 2019

 

 

'The Little Drummer Boy': Song History
Researching this carol lifts lids off all sorts of curious historical 'facts', while throwing bright lights on other, more factual stories.

 

Czech Origins?
The original music, a lullaby, is said to have been 'collected' from Czech (by a Miss Jacubickova) and given English words by Percy Dearmer for The Oxford Book of Carols in 1928. Having traced both the 'new' English title ("Rocking Lullaby") and the choir itself, I learned that there isn't much about the music, the melody, the old tune, that resembles any aspect of the music of 'The Little Drummer Boy'—not the notes, nor their arrangement, nor anything like the carol—as we now know it.

 

I double checked with another title that comes up in the research, a very legitimizing couplet of words 'Hajej, nynjej', that is purported to be title of the the very same Czech lullaby (from which the carol is said to have its cultural roots).

 

Again, the 'Hajej, nynjej' is nothing like 'The Little Drummer Boy'—even if you imagine taking out the 'pa rum pum pum pum' stuff, even if you imagine quickening it, pitching it in a different octave, sing it by the Beatles, there is no whiff, or riff or 'pum pum' of inspiration for 'The Little Drummer Boy'.

 

Historical Oomph
So, although the original music may have come from Czech and may have morphed into a Christmas carol in England in the early nineteenth century, there is nothing to trace it specifically (though the references beg to differ) to give it an historical oomph.

 

It doesn't need historical oomph of that sort.

 

It's a Christmas Carol that has a history. And if that history didn't start on the lonely woodcutter's accordion in a wood shed in deep forests a hundred years ago, or in the choir stalls of Oxford, then it stands up in the history of show business for more than eighty years with a fan fare. Or better, with a drum roll.

 

My article traces the history of this Christmas Carol 'The Little Drummer Boy' by the light of my Twenty First Century candle!

 

How This Song Became a Christmas Carol
It was Katherine Kennicott Davis from St. Joseph, Missouri (1892–1980)—composer of more than 600 hymns and songs for choirs—who composed 'The Carol of The Drum' (in 1941) which was to get into the hit parade (as 'The Little Drummer Boy') more than ten years later.

 

The Drum Rhythm Was an Accident
The drum rhythm that made the tune so special—even then, presumably—had been accidental. K K Davis had written it in order to help the chorus harmonize between a soprano tune (with an alto harmony) and tenor and bass parts—for their rehearsals only. Somehow the notes remained.

 

The Harry Simeone Chorale Version
The Harry Simeone Chorale in 1958 released an altered version of the music as a pop record in 1958, after the famous Trapp Family had sung it a few times. And after the Jack Halloran Singers—a year earlier—had already altered the music for a popular music album 'Christmas is a-Comin' (not released). Halloran, like so many thousands of musicians without enough savoir faire in the shark's waters of the music industry, got shunted off the rails with the church choirs arranged by Katherine K. Davis.

 

Harry Simeone's music 'The Little Drummer Boy' became massively popular. It rose high up, as the soprano notes of the original lullaby, in the hit parades on both sides of the Atlantic through the years 1958–1962. There was no other piece of popular Christmas music quite like it. We loved it.

 

This was just the beginning.

 

Bob Seger's Version

 

How Many Versions Are There?
There are 220 cover versions of the song, in seven languages and in all kinds of genres of music.

 

These are just a few of the recordings made of the music through recent history:

• 1962. Bing Crosby released it as a solo version 'I Wish You a Merry Christmas' then 1977 with David Bowie on Bing's final holiday TV Special as a medley titled 'Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy'.
• 1965. The Supremes recorded the song for their album 'Merry Christmas'.
• 1969. Jimi Hendrix recorded the song and included it in his 1999 EP 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'.
• 1970. The Brady Bunch released a version on 'Christmas with The Brady Bunch'.
• 1981. Boney M released a German version of the song on their 'Christmas Album'.
• 1996. Apocalyptica released it as a single
• 1998. Alicia Keys released 'Little Drummer Girl' on 'Jermaine Dupri Presents Twelve Soulful Nights of Christmas'.
• 2001. Westlife with Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries sang it live for Pope John Paul 11.
• 2003. Whitney Houston and her daughter recorded it for 'One Wish: The Holiday Album'.
• 2009. Bob Dylan sung a version of the song in 'Christmas in the Heart'.
• 2010. Pink Martini sung the song in their album 'Joy to The World'.
• 2011. Sean Quigley released a 'rock anthem' version video on YouTube and got a million hits in a week.

 

Johnny Cash's Version

 

The Appeal of the Lyrics
One hundred and thirteen musicians between 1957 and Christmas 2011 have recorded the song, often including it in their Christmas record release. The music, the words, the soul of it appeals to every type of band, group, soloist.

 

'The Little Drummer Boy' crosses genres, boundaries, borders, beliefs from Hollywood stars like Bing Crosby to rock god guitarist Jimmy Hendrix, from Marlene Dietrich to Johnny Cash. Chicago did a version of it, Bob Dylan did. Shaggy covered it for 'Jamaican Drummer Boy'.

 

The endearing lyrics, sung above an onomatopoeic chorus sounding as drums pa rum pum pum pum, have 'Humility' as their theme.

 

The story in the song is about a little boy who hasn't got a present for baby Jesus but 'to honour him' he plays his drums for him—'I played my best for Him!'—and for this he gets Mary's approval.

 

Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum, Rum Pum Pum Pum . . .
 

Is it because it is a musician's song—that it is so liked by so many musicians? Are the players making music out of the sentiments of the song? Are they playing, 'I hold my hat in hand, Lord, and I sing for you, or I drum for you. It's all I've got. It's who I am. I play for you?'. Do they love these words?

 

Or is it the catchy unique music that either the original composer Katherine K Davis or Jack Halloran or later on Harry Simeone put together? (Or perhaps all three did, combined?) Anyway, between them they created this poor, little soldier boy, an original tune and a popular kind of military rhythm, which sounds as a distant march in the hills of your Christmas imagination.

 

. . . Rum Pum Pum Pum
 

Whatever it is that has captured the sweetness of one of Christmas' popular carols, The Little Drummer Boy drums-on in show-business—and round the world—rum pum pum pum.

 

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum On my drum?'

 

The History of 'The Little Drummer Boy 'Christmas carol is still in the making.

 

The Little Drummer Boy | 1968 | HD | 1080p | Full Movie | Christmas Movies for Kids

 

Source: Wikipedia - The Little Drummer Boy  |  History of Christmas Carols: Little Drummer Boy

 

[DarkRavie]

Friday's Fact of the Day - CARTOON VILLAINS

 

Did you know.. that the good guy wouldn’t be a good guy without a bad guy to battle. It’s the villain who sets the plot in motion; he’s not constrained by the laws of niceness the hero is obliged to obey. In fact, the worse the villain the better the hero had better be at his job – he’s got more heavy lifting to attend to. Catching a bank robber is small change compared to defeating a guy who’s out to rule the world. So, who’s the worst of the worst? Who can give the hero a serious run for his money, leave him teetering on the edge of defeat – and do it with class to spare?

 

 

Best Cartoon Villains - Part One: The Funny Villains

By Joe Strike | Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 9:13am

In Films, Voice Acting | ANIMATIONWorld

 

Let’s list them in order of villainy, counting down to Heath-Ledger-as-the-Joker-level badguy-ness. But before we begin, a few ground rules:

• Bad guy rule number one:

S/he has to be unforgettable, someone who pops into your head the moment you remember their movie, or even after you’ve forgotten the film’s name;

• Bad guy rule number two:

S/he has to be the film’s only villain; it’s hard to shine when you’re lost in the crowd. Sorry if that rules out a classic like Pinocchio, but how does one choose between the Coachman’s grinning evil, the shady fox and feline combo of Honest John and Gideon or even the monstrous Monstro the whale?

• Bad guy rule number three:

S/he has to be one of the film’s main characters. Supporting players like Sid in Toy Story just don’t cut it; which brings us to –

• Bad guy rule number four:

There has to be a bad guy.

 

There are plenty of great movies where the hero’s challenge is to survive his predicament, not outwit a nonexistent evildoer. How to Train Your Dragon is a perfect example: In order to protect his scaly friend Toothless, young Hiccup must overcome his village’s hatred of all winged reptiles. (There is an evil alpha dragon who doesn’t appear until late in the film and has no personality to speak of.)

 

That said, there’s no shortage of candidates. (Or in private eye parlance, likely suspects.) However, on closer examination this rogues’ gallery quickly splits into two categories: the truly evil vs. the buffoons. While the line-up in either category is capable of visiting doom upon the hero, the delineation is simple: the truly evil have you holding your breath, while the buffoons (and their buffoonish minions) provide plenty of laughs in the course of their dirty deeds.

 

This bifurcation of bad guys obliges me to provide twin lists of villains: “the elegantly scary” and “funny but dangerous.” Counting down Letterman-style, let’s start with the ha-ha crowd:

 

Dr. Schadenfreude

 

10. A tie between Igor’s Dr. Schadenfreude (voiced by Eddie Izzard) and Andy Dick’s Boingo Bunny in Hoodwinked. I’ve paired these films up because they’re both favorites of mine, both low-budget sleepers deserving of more attention. The sarcastic European-accented Schadenfreude enjoys insulting his girlfriend Jaclyn (Jennifer Coolidge – “she may seem like a shallow, conniving wretch… that’s all I got, that pretty much sums it up”), who gives as good as she gets (“you’re one to talk, Dr. Schaden-fraud”) – which turns out to be their version of foreplay (“is daddy still mad at me?”); rather kinky, no?

 

Hoodwinked is the better known film of the two, an extremely funny (if horribly animated) take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. The adorable (or so he’d have you believe) Boingo’s gleeful, I Love Being a Villain song (“You won’t be disrespecting this bunny anymore, I’m gonna be top of the woods”) is a total showstopper. 

 

Mad Madam Mim, The Sword in the Stone. (Voiced by Martha Wentworth in 1963 – the ancient age of pre-celebrity voice work.) Mim’s no slouch either when it comes to singing her own praises, vocalizing while transmogrifying from one form to another, from curvaceous charmer to pig-faced monster. In fact, her wizard’s duel with Merlin – with both of them shape-shifting for all they’re worth – is the film’s highlight.

 

Darla Dimple, Cats Don’t Dance. Like Boingo, a villain who at first glance doesn’t look like one. Don’t be fooled by this chubby-legged, big-eyed moppet’s sugary-sweet façade; she’s one bitchy diva, and no kitty-cat or doggie is going to drag her down. She quickly reprises her “Big and Loud” production number – extolling the virtues of give ‘em all you got show biz pizazz – into a piece of thirsting for revenge nastiness. (“They’ll never know what hit them/wait they’ll see what I have in store…”) And boy, when she goes nuts at the end of the movie… she goes nuts, big and loud.

 

The victim of studio politics, the top-notch CDD didn’t deserve its quick slide into obscurity, taking a slew of first-rate Randy Newman songs with it. (If there was any justice in the world, “Tell Me Lies” would’ve been a 1997 Best Song Oscar nominee.)

 

Gru, Despicable Me, voiced by Steve Carrell. We’re stretching the rules here a bit; Gru is the film’s villain and hero all at once. His villainy is more on the order of mega-pranks and never seems to actually put anyone in physical danger. Gru’s rival, the nerdy Vector is the film’s villainous villain; he might have great taste in decorating (his headquarters looks like it was designed by Apple – a veritable iLair), but he just isn’t top ten material. (Speaking of which, sorry Megamind; in last year’s battle of similarly themed animated features, Gru won easily thanks to his latent cuddliness, not to mention his goofball horde of mini-minions.)

 

Yzma, The Emperor’s New Groove. Eartha Kitt’s “scary beyond reason” villainess, out to usurp an entire kingdom is a hoot and a half. Stiletto-chinned and sporting a face wrinkled yet drum-tight, she sparkplugs a movie that’s hilarious to begin with, more a feature-length Looney Tune than your standard Disney fare. (Not many villains agree to an after-dinner cup of coffee before having the good guy done away with.) I had the pleasure of meeting Eartha in 2005, a few years before her passing. When I told her I loved her performance in the film she burst out laughing; I was the first person to ever compliment her on her animation work. I just wish I had added “or, to save on postage” had become a family catch phrase.

 

Hades, Disney’s Hercules. James Woods’ fast-talking, anachronistic Hollywood “sweetie baby” patter probably isn’t that far off from what you’d hear for real in Tinseltown. An episode of Disney’s Hercules spin-off TV series featured Jafar’s ghost in a Strangers on a Train-style plot to vice-versa enemies, Aladdin for Hercules; Hades can’t believe his guest’s melodramatic histrionics and indulges in more than a few wisecracks at Jafar’s expense.

 

Rattigan, The Great Mouse Detective. Vincent Price did a fair amount of voice work, but his villainous rodent brings The Great Mouse Detective to life. (Save a dramatic battle within Big Ben’s clockworks, the movie’s animation is more Disney Afternoon than theatrical feature.) Oily, unctuous and totally in love with himself, Rattigan’s “The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” is a serious candidate for the world’s greatest I Love Being a Villain song.

 

Kaa, The Jungle Book. Whoops, I just broke Bad Guy Rule number two: boa constrictor Kaa shares the film’s villainy honors with George Sanders’ urbane tiger Shere Khan. (So sue me.) The last feature Walt had a personal hand in is also one of his weakest, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie where Sterling Holloway’s gentle, reedy voice failed to charm me – and Walt gave us plenty of opportunities to enjoy that voice over the years. Playing the villain for a change, Holloway delivers Kaa’s lines with sibilant relish – just don’t look into his eyes. (I’ve heard it said that more than a few people would find his coiled embrace enjoyable…)

 

Captain Hook, Peter Pan. You can count on Hans Conried to add a theatrical flair to any performance. As the crocodile-pursued pirate, Conried chews the painted scenery as if he hadn’t eaten in a month. Hook is one of Disney’s best-animated villains; how could he not be, considering he was brought to life by two of the best animators ever to lift a pencil: Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.

 

Cruella De Vil, One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The stylish De Vil was so wicked (“if she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will”), someone else had to perform her villain song. (She doesn’t have much company in that regard; the only other character who comes to mind is the Grinch, immortalized in the immortal Thurl Ravenscroft’s rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in Chuck Jones’ animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas.)

 

Cruella’s death’s head face, her schizoid black and white head of hair and cheekbones that look like she’s holding a double-pointed arrow in her mouth are nothing compared to her satanic, go-for-broke obsession to own those spotted dogs. (Freeze frame her close-up at 75:31 into the DVD and you’ll see what I’m talking about.)  Cruella was animated by Marc Davis, another of Disney’s “nine old men” and voiced by Betty Lou Gerson in a once in a lifetime vocal performance. (Betty’s final IMDB credit is as the voice of “Frances,” a Grande Dame fish in 1997’s Cats Don’t Dance.)    

 

Source: Best Cartoon Villains

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - GRANDMA FOR RUN OVER BY A REINDEER

Did you know... that "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" is a novelty Christmas song. Written by Randy Brooks, the song was originally performed by the husband-and-wife duo of Elmo Shropshire and Patsy Trigg in 1979. (Wikipedia)

 

How 'Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer' Became a Holiday Staple
BY Kenneth Partridge  |  December 8, 2016

 

With more than 11 million copies sold, the kooky country Christmas classic that is "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" is a musical gift that keeps on giving—and that can evidently never be returned. It’s the fantastical tale of a tipsy old lady who’s trampled to death by Santa’s sleigh, and the story behind the song is nearly as good. It begins, like all Christmas fables should, with a blizzard. It was December 1978, and a San Francisco veterinarian named Elmo Shropshire, a.k.a. Dr. Elmo, was booked at the Hyatt in Lake Tahoe with his then-wife, Patsy. The couple had a comedy-bluegrass duo called Elmo & Patsy, and just before taking the stage, they got a visit from one Randy Brooks, a Texas singer-songwriter who’d played the hotel before them and gotten stuck there by the snow.

 

"I was never what I’d consider to be much of a singer," Dr. Elmo tells mental_floss from his home in California. "I always sang novelty songs, so it didn’t matter if I could sing or not. At the time, we were doing a lot of funny songs. Randy saw our show and said, 'I’ve got this song I think would be perfect for you.'"

 

The song, of course, was "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," which Dr. Elmo deemed "the most original take on Christmas music" he’d ever heard. "I didn’t know how long it would last," he says. "But I knew it would get people’s attention the first time he sang it."

Funnily enough, "Grandma" didn’t get much of a reaction from the audience at the Hyatt, where Elmo & Patsy played it with Brooks the night they met. "They thought it was kind of cute," Dr. Elmo says. "There are some songs that are more in your face than that one. The song has all the trappings of Christmas in it, except for that one thing."

 

Elmo & Patsy

 

That one thing—the old woman getting blindsided by St. Nick, plus the indifferent response from her family—made all the difference. In 1979, an early recording by Dr. Elmo found its way to influential San Francisco DJ Gene "The Emperor" Nelson, who made it a local sensation. Then December 26 rolled around, and Dr. Elmo figured the fun was over. Not even close.

 

"The following year, word spread from radio station to radio station," says Dr. Elmo, who wisely secured the publishing rights early on. "This wasn’t anything that started out with any big-time radio hype. We weren’t giving DJs cocaine or women or anything. I didn’t have the wherewithal to do all that stuff."

 

Dr. Elmo self-released 500 copies on 45 rpm vinyl, and by 1981, as the buzz continued to build, he dared to think bigger. In 1982, a company in Nashville contacted him about pressing up 250,000 copies. Dr. Elmo feared he’d be stuck with a garage full of unwanted product, but the records flew off the shelves like Santa’s caribou. That’s when he decided to sell his veterinary hospital to finance a music video, which he shot for $30,000 at his home. At this point, he still didn’t have a record deal. "After I made the video, I had what you’d call filmmaker’s remorse," Dr. Elmo says. "I paid all that money, and nothing was happening. The 250,000 copies was a good sell, but we didn’t make any money—not enough to pay for the video."

 

 

But the investment soon paid off. In November 1983, Dr. Elmo got a call from MTV. The network loved the clip, and it’s easy to see why. Although Grandma lives in the end—a happy ending Dr. Elmo figured was necessary to sell the thing—the video has a vaguely subversive, charmingly low-budget quality that was bound to appeal to teenagers. In the last week of the Christmas season, with the vid in heavy rotation, "Grandma" passed Bing Crosby’s "White Christmas" on the Billboard holiday charts.

 

"My father would’ve rolled over in his grave," Dr. Elmo says with a laugh. "He thought Bing Crosby was the greatest singer in the world. And so did I."

 

As Bing felt the sting of the public’s changing tastes, Dr. Elmo was finally in a position to make some money. In previous years, every record company he’d queried had mailed back his letter with the same message: "Stop sending us this crap." With his crap now smelling like gingerbread, Dr. Elmo flew to L.A. and signed a deal with Columbia Records. The label reissued the full-length Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer album he’d recorded the previous year, and in December '84, the LP became the label’s top seller, outpacing Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which was two years old but still plenty popular.

 

 

In the 30 or so years since, Dr. Elmo has basically become the Michael Jackson of novelty holiday tunes about hilariously slain matriarchs. Despite the occasional protest from groups like the Gray Panthers, who once gave Dr. Elmo a major publicity boost by labeling the lyrics sexist and ageist, "Grandma" returns each year to leave hoofprints on the popular imagination. The perennial radio favorite has spawned numerous commercial tie-ins, including a 2000 animated TV special and a line of Hallmark musical greeting cards, buttons, and an ornament. This year, fans have their pick of "Grandma" hats at Shopko and dozens upon dozens of apparel options at Walmart.

 

According to Dr. Elmo, there are even plans for a full-length feature film, so clearly, the franchise still has legs. And so does Dr. Elmo. When he’s not singing his holiday jam, the 80-year-old can be found outrunning the competition at senior track meets and road races. In 2005 at age 69, he finished the New York City Marathon, and in 2013, as a member of Team USA’s 4x400 relay, he won a gold medal at the World Masters Games in Porto Alegre, Brazil. On the day he spoke with mental_floss, he was gearing up for the Florida Senior Games.

 

Win or lose, he’ll probably be the only participant able to say he’s shared bills with Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne and rocked with The Roots on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. For a one-hit wonder, Dr. Elmo has had a remarkably fruitful career—one that likely wouldn’t be possible today. As he says, "Grandma" went viral at a time when major labels still mattered and radio stations were the source of new music. With everything moving toward streaming, it’s harder for any single artist or song to really capture the public’s attention.

 

 

 

"Everyone just listens to whatever they want to hear now," Dr. Elmo says. "That’s the difference. That’s both good and bad. If you’re a person who likes music and likes to listen to what you want to hear, there’s never been a better time."

 

As for why people still dig "Grandma," Dr. Elmo says it continues to fill a void in the holiday music market. "All those hits from the early '50s were really sweet and wonderful and lovely," he says. "They liked to play them in shopping malls so people would buy stuff. When this song came along, another generation of people—and even the younger generations now—embraced it because it’s a little dark. It was much more to their sense of humor. It wasn’t too syrupy sweet."

 

The song’s darkest moment comes in the second verse, where Grandpa responds to his wife’s death by swilling beer and watching football, like nothing happened. There are two possible ways to read his reaction: Either the old man is coping as best he can, or he’s quietly relishing his newfound freedom. Dr. Elmo is a veterinarian, not a psychologist, but he has a theory.

 

"He was just kind of tired of the old woman," he says with a laugh. "Grandpa is old. He likes to drink beer and watch football. That’s it."

 

Source: Wikipedia - Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer  |  How 'Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer' Became a Holiday Staple

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - ALBINO ANIMALS

Albino Squirrel

 

Did you know... that albinism is a congenital disorder that robs the skin, hair and eyes of color? Albinos are extremely pale and as such, suffer from sunburns and skin cancers more frequently than non-albinos. The lack of eye pigmentation can also cause problems. Human albinos often require surgery or wear corrective lenses. Albino animals face almost insurmountable odds when they're born in the wild. Baby albinos are seen as an oddity within their own species and are more visible to predators. These animals may also be cursed with imperfect vision or other health problems. (Wikipedia)

 

Famous Albino Animals
By Shea Gunther  |  Updated August 28, 2019

 

 

Albinism is a congenital disorder that robs the skin, hair and eyes of color. Albinos are extremely pale and as such, suffer from sunburns and skin cancers more frequently than non-albinos. The lack of eye pigmentation can also cause problems. Human albinos often require surgery or wear corrective lenses. Albino animals face almost insurmountable odds when they're born in the wild. Baby albinos are seen as an oddity within their own species and are more visible to predators. These animals may also be cursed with imperfect vision or other health problems. Those lucky enough to be born in a zoo can look forward to a relatively comfortable life. Here are several amazing famous albino animals.

 

Pair of White Giraffes

 

 

One white giraffe is a rare sight, but recently a pair of them — a mother and calf — was spotted strolling in eastern Kenya on the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy. They're leucistic, according to the Hirola Conservation Program, which manages the area. That's why the baby has a little coloring left on its neck.

 

"They were so close and extremely calm and seemed not disturbed by our presence. The mother kept pacing back and forth a few yards in front of us while signaling the baby giraffe to hide behind the bushes — a characteristic of most wildlife mothers in the wild to prevent the predation of their young," the conservation program wrote on its blog.

 

Snowflake the Gorilla

 

Snowflake the gorilla arrived at the Barcelona Zoo in the mid '60s to great fanfare, including an official reception thrown by the mayor of the city. Snowflake was captured by a farmer in Equatorial Guinea under tragic circumstances — the farmer killed all the gorillas in Snowflake's group just to capture him. He was found clinging to his dead mother's fur.

 

Through a series of middlemen, Snowflake found his way to the Barcelona Zoo where he settled into a comfortable life. He went on to father 22 babies, none of which were albino. In September 2003, the zoo announced that he suffered from a rare form of skin cancer (most likely caused by his albinism). Thousands of visitors came to pay their respects before he was euthanized a month after the announcement.

 

Claude the Alligator

 

Claude the alligator is the most famous resident of the California Academy of Sciences. Born in captivity in Florida, he now spends his days splashing around The Swamp, his little corner of the academy. For a few years he shared the space with another gator named Bonnie, but that ended when Claude, whose weakened albino eyes made him prone to bump into things (and other gators), provoked Bonnie into biting him on the foot. After Bonnie was shipped back to Florida and Claude recovered, he was reintroduced back into The Swamp.

 

Rescued Albino Orangutan

 

This extremely rare albino orangutan was rescued from a village in the Indonesian part of Borneo. The 5-year-old female, later named Alba, was being held in a cage by villagers, and the dried blood visible on its nose may have been from attempting to fight free from the villagers.

 

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) said in a statement that in its 25 years of existence, it had never taken in an albino orangutan to its rehabilitation center, where workers were being cautious in their care of the orangutan. She demonstrated sensitivity to light, and she is showing "wild behaviors." After she received a full medical evaluation, the BOSF began the process of determining the best possible paths forward for the orangutan's conservation and protection.

 

And those efforts paid off. In December 2018, Alba was released in a national park in Indonesia, along with Kika, a female orangutan with whom she had become friends.

 

You can watch their release in the video below.

 

 

 

Snowdrop the Penguin

 

You'd think albino penguins would be more common since they spend so much time in the snow. (If you're going to be an all-white animal, what better backdrop could you find?) Of course, nature doesn't work that way. Snowdrop the penguin was one of the few albinos that made it to adulthood. He was born at the Bristol Zoo in England, and was accepted by his clutchmates unconditionally. Sadly, Snowdrop only lived for a couple of years before dying suddenly in August 2004.

 

Migaloo the Humpback Whale

 

Migaloo the albino humpback is well-known in Australia where he regularly travels along the country's east coast during migration season. First spotted in 1991, Migaloo is the world's only known albino humpback. He has been seen nearly every year since his discovery, and he even has his own website and Twitter account, where you can follow along with the most recent sightings of this amazing animal.

 

Mocha Dick the Sperm Whale

 

Mocha Dick was another famous white whale. This ferocious fighter was so well-known to 19th-century whalers that he inspired Herman Melville's classic, "Moby Dick" (pictured). Mocha was an albino sperm whale that reportedly survived more than 100 encounters with whalers before he was eventually killed. He was docile when unprovoked but would turn into an aggressive fighter when attacked, using his body to smash the boats of those who sought his blubber. He was killed in 1838 after coming to the rescue of a cow that had just lost a calf to whalers.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Albinism  |  Famous Albino Animals 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - GREAT BARRIER REEF

Satellite image of part of the

Great Barrier Reef adjacent to

the Queensland coastal areas of

Airlie Beach and Mackay.

 

Did you know... that the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. (Wikipedia)

 

One of the 7 natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Australia’s Queensland and is home to a vast array of marine life.  Adventures around this spectacular area can take place from the air, by boat, or by diving beneath the waves and swimming alongside the spectacular corals. You’ve probably seen and heard a lot about this underwater wonderland but in case you haven’t, here’s everything you need to know…

 

1. It is the world’s largest reef system

With almost 3,000 individual reefs, 900 islands, and stretching for 2,600km there is no denying the reef is massive. This incredible living system can even be viewed from space. If you want to get an idea of size, then imagine the country of Italy lying just off the coast of Australia and you begin to get an idea of its vastness.

 

2. It is home to an incredible diversity of species

Attempting to list all the species here would be a challenge to say the least so here are some of the most impressive groups that the reef is home to:

 

• 30 species of whale, dolphin, and porpoise
• 6 species of turtle
• 17 species of sea snake
• More than 1,500 species of fish – incredibly, 10% of the world’s fish species inhabit the Great Barrier Reef.

 

3. Corals are alive

So what is a coral, you ask? Corals are formed by tiny creatures called polyps that have a sac-like body with emerging tentacles. Corals gain their rock-like structure from the polyps as they use calcium and carbonate ions from the seawater to create a hard outer skeleton to protect their soft bodies. These polyps survive due to their relationship with the algae that live alongside them. The algae absorb light from the sun and subsequently feed the coral. The algae also give the corals their bright colours. Corals are, in fact, nocturnal and it is under the cover of darkness that the polyps emerge from their outer casings to catch small creatures that pass by.

 

4. The reef is further out than you may think

Whilst coral reefs thrive in warm, shallow waters, these are not always close to shore. A barrier reef is defined as a coral reef running parallel to the shore but separated by a large lagoon. Visitors to the reef may be surprised that their boat trip could take between 45 minutes and 2 hours to reach the dive site so remember your travel sickness pills if it’s a windy day!

 

5. The threats to the reef are numerous

Sadly, the reef is struggling to survive with climate change being the main threat. Rising sea temperatures and pollution leave the coral more susceptible to bleaching and, tragically, eventual death. Tourism can also play a role, with swimmers and divers touching and damaging parts of the reef as well as leaving behind rubbish and contaminating the waters with sun cream and other pollutants.

 

6. A bleached reef isn’t always a dead reef

Coral bleaching occurs when changes in conditions cause the polyps to expel the algae on which it depends to survive. It is the algae which give the corals their colour so, of course, no algae means a bleached, colourless reef. Not all corals will immediately die following this event, however they are left without their primary food supply and are therefore more at risk of starvation and disease. Corals can recover after bleaching providing that conditions return to normal and they are not put under strain too soon afterward.

 

7. There is hope for the reef’s return

Protection of the Great Barrier Reef is a top priority for the Australian Government and conservationists, so you’ll be happy to hear that measures are being taken to help protect this natural wonder. Efforts are being made to reduce sediment runoff and advanced laboratory techniques are allowing resilient corals to be grown away from the reef and planted in the wild when they are ready. Also, whilst tourism can play a part in the reef’s problems, it is also a part of the solution. With over 2 million visitors a year, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most popular attractions in Australia and generates $5-6 billion per year. Money from reef tourism contributes massively to reef protection and the more people that love the reef, the more will be determined to help it survive.

 

8. The reef is millions of years old!

The living corals which form the reef now are sat upon old, dead structures. These corals of the past could be up to 20 million years old!

 

9. Prehistoric creatures still live there

As already mentioned, some of the coral structures could date back millions of years, but so too could some of the creatures living there. The alien-like nautilus is a distant cousin to the squid but what makes this creature unique is that it appears to have remained relatively unchanged over the last 500 million years!

 

10. Corals only spawn once a year

When conditions are right, often after a full moon, the incredible phenomenon of coral reproduction takes place. An entire colony can synchronize, with each polyp releasing its genetic matter into the water creating a scene reminiscent of a snowstorm. This event can leave deposits on the surface of the water visible from space! Following this, new corals can form. Amazingly, it can take a single polyp to start a new reef!

 

11. Visit in the winter

The summer months may seem like a great time to visit the reef. But aside from the scorching temperatures, what may put you off a summer visit are the stingers. Stinger season stretches from November to May and within this time you could find yourself wearing a stinger suit in the water or only swimming within enclosures. But have no fear! Whilst it is cooler in the winter, the air and water temperatures are still pleasant and, most importantly, you’ll avoid a dreaded jellyfish encounter.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Great Barrier Reef  |  Facts About the Great Barrier Reef

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - E-BOOK

 

Did you know... that an electronic book, also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts & Figures About eBooks!
8th November 2016 | by Kara Kitze

 

Readers and writers alike often debate the merits of eBooks versus traditional print publications. Though both sides offer valid support for their claims, this contentious argument is unlikely to end any time soon. Regardless of your position on this issue, one thing remains clear: eBooks are here to stay. Read on to discover 10 fascinating facts about eBooks, their history, and their forecasted future.

 

1.) One impressive precursor to the modern-day eReader was developed by a Spanish woman, Ángela Ruiz Robles, in 1949. Robles sought to reduce the load of books carried by her students. Her invention, dubbed the “Mechanical Encyclopedia,” was operated by using compressed air. Reels of text and images were threaded around spindles within the reader. Other features of the device included a magnifying glass, a light for reading in the dark, and audio commentary. Though technological and financial limitations prevented Robles’ eReader from becoming a reality, it is remembered today as an important innovation in the history of eBooks.

 

2.) As of 2015, the “digital apocalypse” has yet to arrive. Data from the Association of American Publishers, which studied data from over 1,200 publishers, noted that eBook sales fell roughly 10% in the first half of 2015. Instead of overtaking the market, digital books continue to hold roughly 20% of the market share, much as in prior years. Similar trends have been seen in other major global markets, including Germany and the U.K., continuing into 2016. These statistics hardly spell doom for eBook publishers, however. Book sales remain steady for many. Indeed, most studies neglect to report on the sales of independent publishers and self-published writers. Catering to both digital- and print-loving customers seems to be the best option for writers in 2016.

 

3.) In June of 2016, Apple agreed to pay out $400 million in a settlement regarding eBooks. The company was found guilty of conspiring with five major U.S. publishers to drive up eBook prices. Customers who bought eBooks from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo between April 2010 and May 2012 may be eligible for refunds from these vendors. Most individuals have been automatically refunded part of the cost of these purchases ($6.93 for New York Times bestsellers and $1.57 for other books).

 

 

4.) Though the exact numbers are up for debate, multiple studies have shown that reading eBooks is better for the environment than plowing through stacks of printed materials. Though the production of the eBook reader itself is not particularly “green,” studies suggest that reading 20-40 eBooks per year is enough to spare a tree. As eBooks become more popular, it is possible that the staggering number of trees used to produce books (30 million in the United States each year) may be lowered. In general, eBooks offer a more eco-friendly alternative to paper publications.

 

5.) As of August 2015, the top-selling Kindle eBooks of all time included: Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, Gone Girl, Fifty Shades Freed, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, Life of Pi, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Twelve Years a Slave, and Thursdays in the Park.

 

6.) Smashwords, a popular self-serve publishing firm, has analyzed many eBook figures and trends. One interesting discovery was the ratio of sales amongst popular titles. A #1 bestseller, for instance, was selling more than twice the number of copies sold by a #5 ranked book. Though a book at place #500 is clearly a success, this top-seller is likely reaching only 3% of the sales achieved by the #1 bestseller. What does all of this data mean? In short, the very top authors are achieving massive success. Reaching the peak of the bestseller list should be among every author’s goals.

 

7.) Readers overwhelmingly prefer longer publications over shorter ones. In another Smashwords study, the publishing service learned that their top 100 bestsellers averaged a whopping 115,000 words, or roughly 460 pages. The study showed a strong correlation between eBook length and sales. Writers should avoid filling their pieces with unnecessary content, however. Authors should, on the other hand, opt for focusing on longer works rather than serialized stories or breezy novellas.

 

 

8.) As of May 2016, eBooks published by the “Big Five” publishing houses (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster) have fallen in price. In many cases, popular titles were more than $1.00 cheaper than their January prices. The average price of Big Five titles fell from $10.31 in January to $8.67 in May. Prices have likely fallen as a result of competitors’ prices; independent publishers and self-published authors are increasingly releasing titles priced at $3.00 or less.

 

9.) Tablets, such as the Kindle Fire and iPad, are currently the most popular devices for reading eBooks. Individuals who read their eBooks primarily on tablets reached 41% in 2015, up from 30% in 2012. Most publishers, however, are beginning to focus on smartphones and their viability as eReaders. In late 2014, more than 50% of eBook readers admitted to reading at least some of their books on their phone, a sharp increase over 2012 statistics. A full 14% of eBook readers primarily consume literature on their phones. In contrast, the number of individuals reading on tablets and dedicated eReaders has dropped in recent years.

 

 

10.) A 2015 study of Canadian eBook publishers and buyers discovered some interesting facts about the current state of eBook sales. 17% of those polled had purchased an eBook in the past month. 31% of customers bought only eBooks whereas 61% of customers bought a mix of print and digital titles. A whopping 93% of publishers had begun selling eBooks, with nearly 50% offering a majority of their titles in a digital format. Perhaps most interestingly, more than 1 in 4 of the surveyed publishers bundled digital copies of books with print editions.

 

The world of eBooks is constantly shifting and changing. What will the publishing world look like five years from now? That remains to be seen!

 

Source: Wikipedia - E-Book  |  Facts About E-Books

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - KWANZAA

Did you know... that Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture that is held from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually held on the 6th day. It was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of Africa, including West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. (Wikipedia)

 

Interesting Facts About Kwanzaa
by Brent Godbehere  |  Fri, 12/21/2018

 

 

Every year between December 26 - January 1, people gather together for the celebration of African heritage known as Kwanzaa. This holiday is actually newer that most people think. Even though it honors African roots and heritage, it wasn’t created until the mid 1960s. Maulana Karenga was the founder, also known as Ronald McKinley Everett, who created the first celebration exclusive to African-Americans in 1966-1967. His goal was to help African Americans come together to honor their African culture and history with the seven core principles of African heritage, Nguzo Saba.

 

Kwanzaa was derived from a Swahili phrase ‘matunda ya kwanza’
In Swahili, the phrase means “first fruits of harvest” or simply “first fruits”. The seven day celebration would conclude with a feast on New Year’s day. While corn is not a fruit, it’s the primary symbol for decoration and celebratory dining. What’s even more interesting is the choice of the Swahili phrase which is an East African language. When you look back at the Atlantic slave trade, this brought most African people to America from West Africa. Regardless of what region Africans were from, the founder Maulana Karenga, wanted to really strengthen Pan-Africanism in America.

 

 

Kwanzaa is cultural celebration instead of a religious holiday
During December, there are so many religious holidays that are celebrated across the world but Kwanzaa is not one of them. Kwanzaa is really a seven day cultural celebration of African heritage, specifically focusing on seven core principles that the founder Maulana Karenga created a year before Kwanzaa was first celebrated. His intent was to help unite and educate African-Americans about their roots with African culture. The seven principles (Nguzo Saba) are symbolized with its own candle that is lit each day until all seven are lit on the final day of Kwanzaa.

 

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative economics) To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

 

Kwanzaa was viewed as an alternative to Christmas until the 1990s
Karenga (the founder) intended on Kwanzaa being be an alternative to Christmas. In the late 90s, it was changed so Christmas was not omitted since it was never meant to give people an alternatives to their own religion and religious holiday. To this day, it’s very common for African Americans to celebrate both Kwanzaa and Christmas where homes with include Christmas trees and kinaras which are traditional candle holders filled with seven candles (Mishumaa Saba) that represent the seven principles, Nguzo Saba.

 

 

Kwanzaa is now a commercialized holiday
When Karenga changed his view on Kwanzaa being an alternative to Christmas, it started to gain more recognition that would eventually become much more mainstream and commercialized. Many feared this would have a damaging effect on the holiday’s core values especially with the sale of the first Hallmark card for the holiday. More recognition would follow when a Kwanzaa stamp, designed by Synthia Saint James, was released in 1997. Within that same year, U.S. president Bill Clinton declared it a national holiday. Many presidents would make public statements supporting the holiday and the cultural celebration.

 

 

Kwanzaa is celebrated globally by millions of people
There are several numbers out there declaring the amount of people that celebrate Kwanzaa. According to the African American Cultural Center in 2009, it’s estimated that 30 million people celebrate Kwanzaa, making it a holiday celebrated globally. With the holiday gaining popularity worldwide, it expanded from North America to France, Great Britain, Jamaica and Brazil. More recently in Brazil, Kwanzaa has become a term synonymous to Black Awareness Day, observed on November 20.

 

We wish you a happy and joyous Kwanzaa
While the origin of the culture dates back hundreds of years, the holiday itself is only a little more than 50 years old. Families continue to decorate their homes with art and colorful African cloth (which can also be worn) for each yearly celebration. Children will get involved by honoring their ancestors with respect and gratitude. Drumming, music, libations and discussing African history are some of the activities that make up the celebration. The candle-lighting ritual continues for seven days and concludes with a wonderful feast.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Kwanzaa  |  Facts About Kwanzaa

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHRISTMAS LITERATURE

 

Did you know... that some of our most sentimental Christmas memories are those of the family gathering in the living room to watch, read, or listen to Christmas stories.

 

Christmas Books of All Time

Mission  |  Dec 1, 2017

 

1.) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

“You are fettered,” said Scrooge, trembling. “Tell me why?”
“I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the Ghost. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”
―Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol was written in 1843 by Charles Dickens. Short on time and obligated to produce a piece for his editor, Dickens wrote this story using many details from his own life. In the story, he tells the tale of an old, bitter man named Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who take him on a journey through Christmases past, present, and future.

 

2.) Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

“I hope you will like the little things I have sent you. You seem to be most interested in Railways just now, so I am sending you mostly things of that sort. I send as much love as ever, in fact more. We have both, the old Polar Bear and I, enjoyed having so many nice letters from you and your pets. If you think we have not read them you are wrong; but if you find that not many of the things you asked for have come, and not perhaps quite as many as sometimes, remember that this Christmas all over the world there are a terrible number of poor and starving people. I (and also my Green Brother) have had to do some collecting of food and clothes, and toys too, for the children whose fathers and mothers and friends cannot give them anything, sometimes not even dinner. I know yours won’t forget you. So, my dears, I hope you will be happy this Christmas and not quarrel, and will have some good games with your Railway all together. Don’t forget old Father Christmas, when you light your tree.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

Every December, J.R.R. Tolkien’s children would receive a letter from ‘Father Christmas’. These letters shared Father Christmas’s experiences that year — from an accident-prone polar bear to goblin wars in caves beneath the house — and are riddled with life lessons. In Letters from Father Christmas, Tolkien has compiled all these short stories into one book for you to enjoy with your children.

 

3.) The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski

“The village people didn’t know it, but there was a reason for his gloom, a reason for his grumbling, a reason he walked hunched over, as if he were carrying a great weight on his shoulders…”

-Susan Wojciechowski
 

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is a story about loss, love, and healing. It’s a gentle reminder to love all, even those who appear unwelcoming, because you may not know their struggle.

 

4.) The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

“The magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men — who brought gifts to the newborn Christ-child. They were the first to give Christmas gifts. Being wise, their gifts were doubtless wise ones. And here I have told you the story of two children who were not wise. Each sold the most valuable thing he owned in order to buy a gift for the other. But let me speak a last word to the wise of these days: Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the most wise. Everywhere they are the wise ones. They are the magi.” -O. Henry

A Gift of the Magi is a beautiful short story about the personal sacrifices we are willing to make for the ones we love.

 

5.) A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

“My, how foolish I am! You know what I’ve always thought? I’ve always thought a body would have to be sick and dying before they saw the Lord. And I imagined that when He came it would be like looking at the Baptist window: pretty as colored glass with the sun pouring through, such a shine you don’t know it’s getting dark. And it’s been a comfort: to think of that shine taking away all the spooky feeling. But I’ll wager it never happens. I’ll wager at the very end a body realizes the Lord has already shown Himself. That things as they are, just what they’ve always seen, was seeing Him. As for me, I could leave the world with today in my eyes.” ―Truman Capote

A Christmas Memory is a collection of autobiographical stories by Truman Capote. Originally published in 1956, it’s become a Christmas classic riddled with gems like the quote above.

 

6.) The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann

"Kind reader, or listener, whatever may be your name, whether Frank, Robert, Henry, — Anna or Maria, I beg you to call to mind the table covered with your last Christmas gifts, as in their newest gloss they first appeared to your delighted vision. You will then “be able to imagine the astonishment of the children, as they stood with sparkling eyes, unable to utter a word, for joy at the sight before them.” -E.T.A. Hoffmann
 

The Nutcracker and The Mouse King is a novel written in 1816 by the German author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Although we highly recommend the book, if reading ain’t your style, then check out The Nutcracker Ballet or Disney’s short film (my personal favorite).

 

7.) Silent Night: The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce by Stanley Weintraub

“On both sides in 1915 there would be more dead on any single day than yards gained in the entire year. And there would be nearly four more years of attrition — not to determine who was right, but who was left.”

―Stanley Weintraub

In 1914 during World War 1, a Christmas truce spontaneously broke out in the trenches. In Silent Night, Stanley Weintraub provides an in-depth analysis of this forgotten Christmas story.

 

8.) The Battered Bastards of Bastogne: The 101st Airborne and the Battle of the Bulge by George Koskimaki

“December 22nd 1944
 

To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
 

The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note. If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours’ term. All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the wellknown American humanity.
 

The German Commander.”
 

“December 22, 1944
 

To the German Commander,
 

N U T S !
 

The American Commander”
 

Although not strictly a ‘Christmas story’, this book covers the Battle of the Bulge, which took place during WWII from December 19, 1944, to January 17, 1945. It was the bloodiest battle of the war, and as many of the soldiers lacked basic cold gear, it was also one of the most physically testing. The Battered Bastards of Bastogne is comprised of 530 soldiers’ accounts of the battle. It’s definitely not a light read.

 

9.) The Elves and the Shoemaker by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

“As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker’s bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them. And on they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table.”

The Elves and the Shoemaker is a classic fairy tale by the Grimm brothers. One morning, a shoemaker comes into his shop to find a beautiful pair of shoes has been made for him to sell. Astonished, he determines to find out who he should thank for the service.

 

10.) The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen

“There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers. They were all brothers, born of the same old tin spoon. They shouldered their muskets and looked straight ahead of them, splendid in their uniforms, all red and blue…. All the soldiers looked exactly alike except one. He looked a little different as he had been cast last of all. The tin was short, so he had only one leg. But there he stood, as steady on one leg as any of the other soldiers on their two. But just you see, he’ll be the remarkable one.”

-Hans Christian Andersen
 

In The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Hans Christian Andersen tells the tale of a tin soldier’s many adventures.

 

Click the link below  to read the next 20 Best Christmas Books .

 

Source: The 30 Best Christmas Books of All Time

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHRISTMAS TRUCE

soldiers from both sides (the British and the Germans)

exchange cheerful conversation (An artist's impression

from The Illustrated London News of 9 January 1915:

"British and German Soldiers Arm-in-Arm Exchanging

Headgear: A Christmas Truce between Opposing Trenches").

 

Did you know... that the Christmas truce was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of the First World War around Christmas 1914. The truce occurred only five months into the war. (Wikipedia)

 

Christmas Truce
World War I

WRITTEN BY Michael Ray

 

Christmas Truce, (December 24–25, 1914), unofficial and impromptu cease-fire that occurred along the Western Front during World War I. The pause in fighting was not universally observed, nor had it been sanctioned by commanders on either side, but, along some two-thirds of the 30-mile (48-km) front controlled by the British Expeditionary Force, the guns fell silent for a short time.

 

 

The countries of Europe went to war in the summer of 1914 with enthusiasm and the belief that the conflict would be over by Christmas (December 25) of that year. Within only a few months, however, hundreds of thousands of soldiers had been killed in heavy fighting. The German advance had been checked at the Marne, and the “Race to the Sea” between Germany and the Allies had played out at Ypres. The result was a bloody stalemate, with a front that stretched from the Swiss border to the North Sea.

 

By December 1914 the reality of trench warfare had settled in, and weeks of heavy rain had turned both the trenches and the No Man’s Land that separated them into a cold, muddy morass. For those on the Western Front, daily life was miserable, but it was a misery that was shared by enemies who were, in some places, separated by 50 yards (46 metres) or less. The Second Battle of Ypres and its clouds of asphyxiating gas were still months away, and the mindless slaughter of Passchendaele was years in the future. The men in the trenches had seen battle, but they were as yet untouched by the worst horrors that World War I would produce.

 

 

In early December an attempt was made to secure an official truce for the holidays. Pope Benedict XV had ascended to the papacy just a month after the outbreak of war, and on December 7 he issued an appeal to the leaders of Europe “that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang.” Benedict’s hope was that a truce would allow the warring powers to negotiate a fair and lasting peace, but there was little interest from leaders on either side. This did not stop soldiers at the front from seizing the initiative, however, when outside events seemed to provide a path to the truce that their leaders had rejected. As December 25 approached, the constant soaking rain gave way to frost, and the battlefields of Flanders were blanketed with a light dusting of snow. German emperor William II contributed to the holiday atmosphere when he sent Tannenbäume (Christmas trees) to the front in an effort to bolster morale. On December 23 German soldiers began placing the trees outside their trenches. They sang hymns such as “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”), and voices from the Allied lines responded with Christmas carols of their own.

 

German soldiers celebrating Christmas in a trench

during World War I.

 

While there were relatively few British troops who spoke German, many Germans had worked in Britain before the war, and this experience facilitated communication between the two groups. Saxon troops, in particular, were credited with initiating a dialogue with the British. Soldiers on both sides regarded the Saxons as amiable and trustworthy, and the Christmas Truce had the most success in areas where British troops faced Saxon regiments. The truce was not widely adopted in French-controlled areas of the front; German soldiers had spent 1914 overrunning a huge swath of French territory, and animus toward the occupiers was too strong. There was also no equivalent truce on the Eastern Front, as Russia was still operating under the Julian calendar, and so the Russian Orthodox Christmas would not be observed until early January.

 

By Christmas Eve, some lower-ranking British officers had begun ordering their men not to fire unless fired upon. This policy came to be known as “live and let live,” and it would be adopted on an ad hoc basis throughout the war, particularly in less active sectors. Like all implementations of “live and let live,” the officers’ decisions were made without any authorization from above, and the tenuous truce slowly started to take hold. As morning broke on Christmas Day, German soldiers emerged from their trenches, waving their arms to demonstrate that they had no ill intent. When it became clear that they were not carrying weapons, British soldiers soon joined them, meeting in No Man’s Land to socialize and exchange gifts.

 

 

Censorship had not yet been imposed on letters home, and British soldiers wrote of playing football (soccer) and sharing food and drink with men who had been, just a day earlier, their mortal enemies. These accounts stress that the men themselves could scarcely believe the remarkable events that were transpiring around them and that they recognized, even in the moment, their unique and historic significance. All was not frivolity, however, as some of the most common activities in areas observing the Christmas Truce were joint services to bury the dead. Perhaps recognizing that the peace surely could not last, both sides also used the cessation of hostilities to improve and reinforce their trenches.

 

There were some casualties as a result of the nonuniversal implementation of the truce, and, even among the units which observed the cease-fire, not all men approved of the decision. Adolf Hitler, who, as a dispatch runner for regimental headquarters, rarely went as far as the forward trenches, sharply criticized the behaviour of men in his regiment who had opted to join the British in No Man’s Land. “Such a thing should not happen in wartime,” he is reported to have said. “Have you no German sense of honour?”

 

 

In the days following Christmas, violence returned to the Western Front, although the truce persisted until after New Year’s Day in some areas. While the truce could not have succeeded without the endorsement of junior officers on both sides, British and German generals quickly took steps to prevent any further episodes of fraternization between their men. Still, there were no courts-martial or punishments linked to the events of the Christmas Truce; senior commanders likely recognized the disastrous effect that such a move would have on morale in the trenches. Attempts to revive the truce on Christmas Day 1915 were quashed, and there were no subsequent widespread cease-fires on the Western Front until the armistice of November 1918.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Christmas Truce  |  Facts and History: Christmas Truce

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - GLASSBLOWING

Did you know... that glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble with the aid of a blowpipe. A person who blows glass is called a glassblower, glassmith, or gaffer. A  lampworker (often also called a glassblower or glassworker) manipulates glass with the use of a torch on a smaller scale, such as in producing precision laboratory glassware out of borosilicate glass. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About Glass blowing

Working the Flame  |  April 13, 2020 (Updated: 2021)

 

 

Glassblowing and lampworking are traditional glassworking processes that have been important in manufacturing and artisan industries for centuries. While both crafts work with glass, lampworkers manipulate glass on a smaller scale, working glass rods and using torches as a heat source.  Lampworkers generally make items like beads and small containers. Glassblowers work with larger amounts of glass that are heated in a furnace. A blow pipe is used to create a bubble in glass and make things like vases, cups, ornaments, and more.  The process of working glass is fascinating, and there are many interesting and fun facts about glassblowing and lampworking through the ages.

 

1) A small breath of air is sufficient for blowing glass.

Photo by Bob Keefer 

 

When blowing through a blowpipe, glassblowers only need to produce enough air to blow out a candle or fill a balloon. That little puff of air is essential to forming glass into the proper shape, but doesn’t take as much effort as you might think. Controlling how much air is injected into the glass is an important aspect of glassblowing that beginners focus on in the early stages of education.

 

2) You won’t die if you inhale through a blow pipe.

Photo by sheldonschwartz

 

Yes, this is a concern of many who begin working with glass. What if I accidentally inhale instead of exhale? Will the heat burn my throat? The answer is no; since the blowpipe is made of steel and the tube is quite long and narrow, the air has time to cool before reaching your mouth.

 

Historical Facts About Glassblowing and Lampworking
3) Glassblowing was invented in the 1st century BCE

Blown glass and marbled decoration sprinkler flask.

Ayyubid dynasty: between circa 1100 and circa 1300.

 

The ancient Syrians are credited with first inventing glassblowing as we know it today. Prior to the creation of glassblowing, glass artisans were restricted to creating opaque bowls that imitated those made of metal. These contained small bubbles from the firing process that turned green or yellow due to impurities in the glass.

 

The invention of glassblowing allowed craftsmen to create a wide variety of higher-quality objects.

 

4) The Italians kept lampworking a secret for 400 years!

Glassblower Lunette (Murano, Venice). Photo by takomabibelot

 

In the 14th century, lampworking became all the rage in Murano, Italy. Artisans made vessels, beads, and other decorative objects using the technique. Lampworking became so profitable that the people of Murano kept the process a secret to ward off competitors.

The knowledge was kept on the island of Murano, and the punishment of death kept artisans in line. Eventually, lampworking spread throughout Europe, but Italy’s lampworking legacy remains well-respected.

 

5) Glassblowing as a process hasn’t changed much since the 1600s.

Polish-American glassblower with a Hessian crucible in the background,

as per historical descriptions of the Jamestown colony.

 

Glassblowers living and working in the colony of Jamestown in the early 17th century worked glass in much the same way as artisans today. Glass was heated in furnaces and gathered on blowpipes to be worked. Glassblowers used tools, gravity, and air to form the glass into the desired shape and cooled the glass in an annealing oven. Tools like marvers, puntys, blocks, and jacks were all used by colonial artisans.

 

The process was essentially the same as it is today. When you watch a glassblower work in modern times, what you are really seeing is continuity in the artform that makes glassblowing a part of living history.

 

Scientific Facts About Glassblowing and Lampworking
6) Molten glass is 2,100°F.

Photo by Bruce Tuten

 

The glass worked by glassblowers is extremely hot at over 2,000°F. In fact, it is the same temperature as lava from a volcano! Glassblowers take precautions from the intense heat of glass by wearing protective eyewear and prioritizing safety guidelines each time they go to work.

 

7) Glass is made from sand.

Deb Nystrom from Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

 

The glass used by glassblowers and lampworkers usually contains around 50% sand and a mix of other ingredients such as lime, potash, and Borax. To make colored glass, silver, copper, manganese and other materials are mixed into traditional glass.

The additives a glassmaker chooses will alter not only the color of the glass, but the overall behavior of it when heated and formed.

 

8.) Universities hire professional scientific glassblowers.
Instead of buying glass from outside sources, many universities save time and money by employing on-site glassblowers to make and repair scientific laboratory equipment. The University of Iowa, for example, has had nine different glassblowers in the past 94 years who are affiliated with the chemistry department but work for anyone seeking their expertise.

 

Having a glassblower on university campuses is convenient and cost effective. Professors can visit the glass shop at any time and make personalized requests that might not be able to get made anywhere else.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Glassblowing  |  Fun Facts About Glassblowing and Lampworking

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SPEED OF SOUND

Did you know... that the speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. At 20 °C, the speed of sound in air is about 343 metres per second, or a kilometer in 2.9 s or a mile in 4.7 s. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About The Speed Of Sound
BY PRO AV EDITORS  |  OCTOBER 18, 2007

 

• It was British scientist Sir Isaac Newton who gave the first analytical determination of the speed of sound in his scientific treatise, “Principia,” in 1687.
• But it was Italian physicists Giovanni Alfonso Borelli and Vincenzo Viviani who, in the 1660s, first calculated the speed of sound. They measured the time between seeing the flash of a gun and hearing its report over a long distance on a still day. Their calculation: 350 meters per second.
• Although the equation for the speed of sound (speed = frequency x wavelength) is constant, the speed is affected by the medium through which the sound waves are propagated, as well as other conditions such as temperature and humidity.
• Today’s accepted value for speed of sound through air: 344 m/s (1,130 feet per second).
• The first measurement of the speed of sound through solids didn’t come until the early 1800s, through the experiments in sound frequency of German physicist and musician Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni, often called the father of acoustics.
• Speed of sound through most solids: 5,960 m/s (13,332 mph).
• Soon after, in 1826, Swiss physicist Jean-Daniel Colladon calculated the speed of sound in 8 degree Centigrade water as 1,435 m/s.
• Today’s calculation of speed of sound through water at that temperature: 1,482 m/s (3,315 mph).
• Why is light so much faster than sound? Light is an electromagnetic wave, and its photons can move as a wave through air or as particles through a vacuum. Sound, however, is a pressure wave, which must produce a vibration to be heard. That can only occur when the wave encounters a particle of some kind, such as an air molecule.
• The Doppler Effect is the change in the perceived frequency of sound waves. If the source of a sound and the listener are standing still, the sound waves are emitted in uniform concentric circles. But if the source moves toward the listener, the waves reaching the listener are closer together, and the listener hears a higher frequency.
• When an aircraft travels through air at less than the speed of sound, about 770 mph, the sound waves it produces propagate ahead of it. But when it travels at supersonic speed, the distance between sound waves decreases to nothing, and they combine to create a sonic boom.
• Flicking the tip of a bullwhip also creates a sonic boom, as does thunder.
• An echo, or reflection, occurs when sound waves bounce off a surface. A ship in a fog can avoid running into cliffs by sounding a foghorn and waiting for the echo. If the time delay is, say, 1.5 seconds, and using 330 m/s as the speed of sound, the ship would be about 250 meters from the cliffs.
• You can’t see around a corner because light waves don’t bend. But you can hear around a corner because of wave diffraction: If the wavelength of a wave is similar to the size of an object, it bends around it and spreads out as it passes.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Speed of Sound  |  Fascinating Facts About the Speed of Sound

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - DEEP SEA CREATURES

Common fangtooth, Anoplogaster cornuta

 

Did you know... that the term deep sea creature refers to organisms that live below the photic zone of the ocean. These creatures must survive in extremely harsh conditions, such as hundreds of bars of pressure, small amounts of oxygen, very little food, no sunlight, and constant, extreme cold. Most creatures have to depend on food floating down from above. These creatures live in very demanding environments, such as the abyssal or hadal zones, which, being thousands of meters below the surface, are almost completely devoid of light. The water is between 3 and 10 degrees Celsius and has low oxygen levels. Due to the depth, the pressure is between 20 and 1,000 bars. Creatures that live hundreds or even thousands of meters deep in the ocean have adapted to the high pressure, lack of light, and other factors. (Wikipedia)

 

Weird and Wild Deep-Sea Creatures
We're not at sea level anymore.

Erin Spencer  |  JULY 4, 2019

 

The deep sea has captured our imagination for centuries—and for good reason. Once we venture past the zone where light penetrates the ocean, the dark depths of the sea are filled with strange and captivating critters (some of which have even inspired horror movie monsters). We know remarkably little about the deep ocean—in fact, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the ocean floor. It’s no surprise, then, that the ocean’s deepest inhabitants don’t get the same recognition as their shallower peers.

So, prepare for a deep dive! Here are seven of the weirdest and wildest residents of the deep sea.

 

Anglerfish

Imagine following a warm, inviting light, only to find a mouth of razor-sharp teeth directly behind it. That is the unfortunate fate of the deep sea anglerfish’s prey (and nearly Marlin and Dory’s in Finding Nemo). Deep sea anglerfishes have evolved a cunning method of hunting: they use their bright lure, which gets its glow from specialized bacteria, to entice fish and crustaceans to draw close to the anglerfish. Only females have the lures, however. They also use it to attract males, who will bite onto the female and fertilize her eggs.

 

Sixgill Shark

 

Sixgill sharks get their name from their six gill slits (no surprise there). Other familiar species, like blacktip reef sharks, bull sharks, blue sharks and hammerhead sharks, only have five gill slits. (Side note: there is another species of shark called the sevengill that has—you guessed it—seven gills slits.) Sixgill sharks can reach up to 16 feet (4.9 meters) in length, making it one of the largest sharks in the ocean. They come up to the surface at night to search for prey, but can dive down 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) or more during the day.

• Bluntnose sixgill shark
• Bigeyed sixgill shark
• Hexanchus
• Atlantic sixgill shark

 

Giant Isopod

A giant isopod is to a roly-poly bug as King Kong is to a gorilla: it’s bigger, scarier and could easily star in a B-grade horror movie. The giant isopod is a crustacean, the group that also includes shrimp and crabs, and is closely related to your friendly neighborhood pillbug. They are carnivores who feed on the ocean floor at depths up to 7,000 feet (2,100 meters). Because meals in the deep ocean floor can be few and far between, giant isopods are able to go long periods without food and will binge eat when they can.

 

Coelacanth

 

When the coelacanth was first discovered in 1938, it was compared to the feeling of finding a T-rex walking around in modern times. Scientists thought the coelacanth had gone extinct 65 million years ago, until a museum curator in South Africa discovered one in a local fisherman’s net. They can reach almost 7 feet (2 meters) in length, and live in depths up to 2,300 feet (700 meters). Their paired lobe fins are similar to those of tetrapods, or four-footed animals, and they move in a way that looks like the fish is “walking” through the water.

 

Vampire Squid

Despite its blood-red color and its horror-story name, vampire squid won’t suck your blood. These cephalopods are scavengers that prefer to munch on dead plankton and other matter that drifts down to the deep ocean. They don’t produce ink like other cephalopods (it wouldn’t do them much good in the black-colored deep water), and instead expel a bioluminescent substance that derails predators.

 

Gulper Eel

 

The gulper eel, also known as the pelican eel, is one of the strangest looking fish in the sea. Its mouth is disproportionately large for its body, and can open wide to consume animals much larger than the eel itself. They use their mouth to scoop up prey, similar to how a pelican used its large beak. Like the anglerfish, the gulper eel has a bioluminescent organ that scientist theorize could be used to attract prey.

 

Giant Squid

The giant squid lives up to its name: they can reach more than 40 feet (12 meters) long, making it one of the largest invertebrates, or animals without backbones, in the world. They live at depths of 1,000 to 2,000 feet (300 to 600 meters), making them difficult to study—most of what we know about them comes from dead squid that have washed ashore or been pulled up in fishermen’s nets. We do know that they have the largest eye in the animal kingdom—their eyes reach up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in diameter, and allow them to pick up the tiny amounts of light that reach the deep ocean.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Deep Sea Creatures  |  Weird and Wild Deep-Sea Creatures

 

 

Edited December 28, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SLAPSTICK FILMS

Laurel and Hardy

 

Did you know.. that slapstick films are comedy films where physical comedy that includes pratfalls, tripping, falling, practical jokes, mistakes, are highlighted over dialogue, plot and character development. The physical comedy in these films contains a cartoonish style of violence that is predominantly harmless and goofy in tone. Silent film had slapstick comedies that included the films starring Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, the Keystone Cops and Harold Lloyd. These comedians often laced their slapstick with social commentary while comedians such as Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges did not contain these social messages. Slapstick is about uninhibited action and timing, which may include being made to look foolish or to act with tom foolery. There were fewer slapstick comedies produced at the advent of sound film. After World War II, the genre resurfaced in France with films by Jacques Tati and in the United States with films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Great Race, starring the Stoic, aloof and mild mannered Buster Keaton, also known as The Great Stone Face, as well as the films of comedians like Jerry Lewis. (Wikipedia)

 

Slapstick, a type of physical comedy characterized by broad humour, absurd situations, and vigorous, usually violent action. The slapstick comic, more than a mere funnyman or buffoon, must often be an acrobat, a stunt performer, and something of a magician—a master of uninhibited action and perfect timing.

 

Commedia dell'arte characters Harlequin (left) and Pierrot,

illustration on paper, c. 1874–88; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

 

Outrageous make-believe violence has always been a key attraction of slapstick comedy, and, fittingly, the form took its name from one of its favourite weapons. A slapstick was originally a harmless paddle composed of two pieces of wood that slapped together to produce a resounding whack when the paddle struck someone. The slapstick seems to have first come into use in the 16th century, when Harlequin, one of the principal characters of the Italian commedia dell’arte, used it on the posteriors of his comic victims. The rough-and-tumble of slapstick has been a part of low comedy and farce since ancient times, having been a prominent feature of Greek and Roman mime and pantomime, in which bald-pated, heavily padded clowns exchanged quips and beatings to the delight of the audience.

 

Slapstick reached another zenith during the late 19th century in English and American music-hall entertainment and vaudeville, and such English stars as George Formby and Gracie Fields carried its popularity well into the 20th century. Motion pictures provided even greater opportunities for visual gags, and comedians Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Mack Sennett’s Keystone Kops introduced such classic routines as the mad chase scene and pie throwing, often made doubly hilarious by speeding up the camera action. Their example was followed in sound films by Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, and the Three Stooges, whose stage careers predated their films and whose films were frequently revived beginning in the 1960s and were affectionately imitated by modern comedy directors. The best of the slapstick comedians may be said to have turned low humour into high art.

 

Comedy in slapstick lies in the basic tension between control and its loss. Both the verbal outbursts of the wordier comics (the Marx Brothers [Chico (1887–1961), Harpo (1888–1964), Groucho (1890–1977), and Zeppo (1901–1979)], W. C. Fields [1880-1946]) and the physical eruptions of those who use extreme body comedy (Charlie Chaplin [1889-1977], Jerry Lewis [b. 1926]) are predicated on the delicate balance between resistance and inevitable surrender—indeed, the resistance serves to make the surrender even funnier. Slapstick's classic moment, the pie in the face, is funny only if the recipient is not already covered in pie but is first clean and neat; slipping on a banana skin provides humor only when the before—the dignified march—is contrasted with the after—the flat-out splayed pratfall on the sidewalk. Slapstick comedians learned early on that humor could be prolonged if resistance, whether to gravity or another inevitability, could also be prolonged—in other words, as long as there were a chance that the other shoe might fall. This balancing act is the slapstick comic's main job: paradoxically, when we watch him—and it is usually a him—performing lack of control, at least part of our pleasure derives from his skill at controlling this lack.

 

Jim Carrey might beat himself up mercilessly in Me, Myself, And Irene (2000), but even as he seems to abandon restraint while punching himself, we are aware of the physical control needed to perform this routine. Part of the humor in this tension is also derived from the comic hero's insistence on maintaining control when others around him have abandoned it. Chaplin's Tramp tries to maintain dignity even though poor, starving, drenched, and an outcast: the humor lies in his scrupulous adherence to social niceties (he holds his silverware nicely) even when society is in chaos (he is having to eat his own boot from starvation in The Gold Rush, 1925).

 

 

 

Slapstick comedy derives its name from the flat double paddle (like a flattened, oversized castanet) that, when struck against another performer, produced a satisfyingly big noise but only a small amount of actual discomfort. This battacio, or slapstick, traditionally wielded by male performers, is said to have evolved from a symbolic phallus (Chamberlain); certainly the habitual association of slapstick comedy with male comics might be seen to bear out this symbolism. While early cinema slapstick boasted performers of both genders, including famous slapstick queen Mabel Normand (1892–1930) (Tillie's Punctured Romance, 1914), early flapper Colleen Moore (1900–1988) (Ella Cinders, 1926), and heroines of the 1930s screwball comedy genre, such as Carole Lombard (1908–1942) (Twentieth Century, [1934] and Nothing Sacred, [1937]), who was not afraid to take pratfalls amidst the glossy art deco sets of the genre, almost all major slapstick comedians since then have been male. Perhaps there is a reluctance on the part of female comedians to align themselves with a form of humor that relies so much on mess, violence, and pain; when female comics become involved in slapstick's routine business of physical humiliation this seems to be more as a punishment than a chosen route.

 

Click the link below  to read more about Slapstick.

 

Source: Encyclopedia - Slapstick Comedy  Wikipedia - Slapstick Film  |  Slapstick Comedy 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name

in a publicity image of A Fistful of Dollars,

a film by Sergio Leone (1964)

 

Did you know... that the Spaghetti Western, also known as Italian Western or Macaroni Western, is a broad subgenre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by American critics and those in other countries because most of these Westerns were produced and directed by Italians. (Wikipedia)

 

What Is a Spaghetti Western?
How Westerns from Italy became the cinema gold standard

Christopher McKittrick  |  Updated May 08, 2019

 

 

Italian-made Western films from the 1960s and 1970s are called "Spaghetti Westerns." Their stark depictions of the Old West have made them some of the most popular Westerns ever created.

 

As a genre, Westerns were incredibly popular with movie audiences from the earliest days of cinema—one of the first big movie milestones was 1903’s The Great Train Robbery—through the end of the 1960s. Westerns were also very popular on television in the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to the box office popularity of the genre, the relatively cheap production values of Westerns in which props and sets could be reused made Hollywood studios of all sizes embrace the genre.

 

International filmmakers who lacked Hollywood’s big budgets embraced the Western as a genre that could allow them to produce high-quality movies on limited budgets. The country outside of America that truly made the Western its own was Italy, whose Westerns of the 1960s and 1970s have been dubbed "Spaghetti Westerns."

 

The Origins of the Spaghetti Western
Prior to the popularity of Westerns, the most popular film genre in Italy in the late 1950s and early 1960s were "sword-and-sandal" films: biblical, mythological, and historical epics. In order to increase the international appeal of these epics, Italian filmmakers would hire American actors to star in the films, such as bodybuilder/actor Steve Reeves, who played Hercules in two Italian movies.

 

Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone directed Reeves in the sword-and-sandal epic The Last Days of Pompeii (1959) and followed it up with a similar film, The Colossus of Rhodes (1961). Next, Leone turned his attention to a different genre: the Western.

 

The success of Leone’s 1964 Western A Fistful of Dollars led to an explosion of popularity in Italian-made Westerns. Though it was not the first Italian Western, A Fistful of Dollars was the first to become a huge financial success around the world. Several factors contributed to its success: it featured stunning direction by Leone, memorable cinematography by Massimo Dallamano, a classic minimalist score by Ennio Morricone, and, perhaps most notably, a story ripped off from Akira Kurosawa’s 1961 samurai film Yojimbo. (The production company behind Yojimbo, Toho, received an out of court settlement after suing Leone for the unauthorized remake.)

 

However, perhaps the biggest reason for the film's popularity was the fact that it starred American actor Clint Eastwood.

 

Yojimbo

 

Clint Eastwood and Spaghetti Westerns
At the time of his casting in A Fistful of Dollars, Clint Eastwood was already known as a Western star thanks to his role in the U.S. series Rawhide. In A Fistful of Dollars, Eastwood plays an unnamed character (popularly known to cinema fans as "The Man with No Name") who rides into a town controlled by two warring factions. The Man with No Name takes advantage of the greed of the factions by playing against both sides in a clever (and bloody) scheme.

 

A Fistful of Dollars quickly became the highest-grossing Italian film of all time, and Italian filmmakers now had a winning cinematic formula to follow.

 

After A Fistful of Dollars, Leone created two more Westerns with Eastwood’s unnamed character — For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) — as well as 1968’s Once Upon a Time in the West, which starred Charles Bronson. These four Leone Spaghetti Westerns are considered by critics to be among the greatest Westerns ever made, with The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ranked as one of the Top 10 films of all time by IMDb users.

 

 

Characteristics of Spaghetti Westerns
One aspect that set Italian Westerns apart was their stark depiction of the Old West. Unlike the American westerns of this era, which were generally family-friendly entertainment starring “white hat” hero cowboys, the Italian Westerns embraced the harshness of the Old West. They also pushed beyond American standards of violence, featuring characters who possessed both heroic and villainous traits.

 

As with the earlier sword-and-sandal epics, Italian directors often hired one or two familiar American actors to boost the film’s international appeal. In addition to Eastwood, American actors who starred in Spaghetti Westerns include Richard Harrison (Gunfight at Red Sands), Gordon Scott (The Tramplers), Cameron Mitchell (Minnesota Clay), Mark Damon (Johnny Yuma), Burt Reynolds (Navajo Joe), and Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West).

 

Unlike American Westerns where Native Americans were frequent antagonists, Native Americans were rarely depicted at all in Spaghetti Westerns. In a few in which Native Americans do appear (such as Navajo Joe), they are usually not the film's antagonists. Many Italian Westerns were actually shot in Spain (though some were also shot in Southern Italy) to depict the dry climate of the American Southwest. Old West sets from several Spaghetti Westerns later became tourist attractions in Spain.

 

The growing popularity of Italian-made Westerns led to the creation of the term “Spaghetti Western" (journalist Alfonso Sancha is credited with inventing the phrase). Many contemporary American critics used the Spaghetti Western label to deride the quality of Italian Westerns, as they had done before with Italian sword-and-sandal movies.

 

Most Spaghetti Westerns did not receive critical acclaim in their time because of repetitive plots, relatively low production values, and poorly dubbed dialogue. But in the decades since, many critics have come to appreciate the raw, stylistic filmmaking that produced Spaghetti Westerns.

 

 

Top Spaghetti Western Movies
A similarly influential Spaghetti Western was 1966’s Django, which starred Franco Nero in another film that heavily borrows from the plot of Yojimbo. The film was the second Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci, who became recognized for his stark depiction of violence. The popularity of Django led to over two dozen unofficial "sequels" produced by various Italian filmmakers through the early 1970s and Quentin Tarantino titled his 2012 Western Django Unchained in tribute to the Django character (Nero also appears in the film in a cameo). Corbucci also directed the classics Navajo Joe (1966), about a revenge-seeking Native American, and The Great Silence (1968), about a mute gunfighter.

 

Similarly, Italian actor Gianni Garko starred as the mysterious gunslinger Sartana in four films starting with 1968’s If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death, though a dozen unofficial Sartana films were produced from just 1969-1972. Even a movie teaming “Django” and “Sartana” was released in 1970, One Damned Day at Dawn… Django Meets Sartana! 

 

Italian actor Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti) also starred in a number of well-regarded Spaghetti Westerns including 1968's Django, Prepare a Coffin; 1970's They Call Me Trinity; and 1971's Trinity is STILL My Name! Hill also starred in the Spaghetti Western parody that featured some direction by Leone, 1973's My Name is Nobody, though unlike most Spaghetti Westerns it was mostly shot in the United States.

 

 

Decline and Legacy of Spaghetti Westerns
Much like the sword-and-sandal genre before it, the Spaghetti Western gradually fell out of favor with audiences in Italy and abroad. In the U.S., the Western genre overall declined in popularity in both film and television by the mid 1970s. Because of this decline, European filmmakers decided not to continue making the films.

 

Though no single genre took over following the decline of Spaghetti Westerns, there was a significant rise in the number of low-budget Italian horror films in the mid-1970s.

 

The genre undoubtedly influenced later Westerns like Eastwood's own directorial efforts High Plains Drifter (1973), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Pale Rider (1985), and Unforgiven (1992), Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015), and non-Western cult favorites like Alex Cox's Straight to Hell (1987) and Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003).

 

 

Spaghetti Western Key Takeaways

• Spaghetti Westerns are Western movies made in Italy during the 1960s and 1970s.
• The genre featured lower production values than Hollywood Westerns, but today many of the films are well-regarded for their depictions of violence and complex characters.
• The most famous and critically acclaimed Spaghetti Westerns were directed by Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood starred in three of Leone's Westerns including The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
• Filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have cited Spaghetti Westerns as important influences on their work.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Spaghetti Western  |  What is a Spaghetti Western?

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SNOW LEOPARD

Did you know.... that the snow leopard, also known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is estimated to number less than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040. (Wikipedia)

 

COMMON NAME: Snow leopards

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Panthera uncia

TYPE: Mammals

DIET: Carnivore

SIZE: Four to five feet with a tail up to 36 inches

WEIGHT: 60 to 120 pounds

 

What is the snow leopard?

Asia High Mountains

These spotted leopards live in the mountains across a vast range of Asia. They are insulated by thick hair—in shades of gray or creamy yellow and covered with grayish black spots—and their wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes. Snow leopards have powerful legs and are tremendous jumpers, able to leap as far as 50 feet. These big cats use their long tails for balance and as blankets to cover sensitive body parts against the severe mountain chill. They are shy and reclusive, and rarely seen in the wild.

 

Habitat

Snow leopards can be found throughout high mountain ranges, including the Himalayas and the southern Siberian mountains in Russia. They can also be found in the Tibetan Plateau and across a range that stretches from China to the mountains of Central Asia. They prefer steep, rugged terrain with rocky outcrops where prey can be hard to come by. That’s why these carnivores require an enormous amount of space to roam: Male leopards require up to 80 square miles—an area bigger than three Manhattans—while females have ranges of up to 48 square miles.

 

Diet and hunting

Snow leopards prey upon the blue sheep (bharal) of Tibet and the Himalayas, as well as the mountain ibex found over most of the rest of their range. Though these powerful predators can kill animals three times their weight, they also eat smaller fare, such as marmots, hares, and game birds.

 

One Indian snow leopard, protected and observed in a national park, is reported to have consumed five blue sheep, nine Tibetan woolly hares, 25 marmots, five domestic goats, one domestic sheep, and 15 birds in a single year.

 

Threats to survival

The expansion of human settlement, especially livestock grazing, has led to increased conflict. Herders sometimes kill snow leopards to prevent or retaliate against predation of their domestic animals. Their lives are also threatened by poaching, driven by illegal trades in pelts and in body parts used for traditional Chinese medicine. These cats appear to be in dramatic decline—they've lost at least 20 percent of their population in two decades as a result.

 

Vanishing habitat and the decline of the cats’ large mammal prey are also contributing factors. Climate change is raising the average temperature across the snow leopard’s home range, which scientists believe will shrink the species' alpine habitat and drive competition with other predators like leopards, wild dogs, and tigers. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies snow leopards as vulnerable to extinction.

 

Conservation

In recent years, a concerted effort has begun to save snow leopards. Protected areas have been established throughout their range, including sanctuaries in Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan. The latter was particularly good news: Kyrgyzstan’s mountains serve as a corridor for snow leopards traveling between the northern and southern ends of their range.

 

That said, creating protected areas for these big cats has only helped so much: According to one study, 40 percent of those protected areas are too small for the wide-roaming snow leopard.

 

Countries have also been strengthening their enforcement against poaching, and conservation groups work with herders to develop systems to keep snow leopards away from their livestock. Others are building awareness about the important role these big cats play in their environment. As a flagship species, snow leopards are essentially a mascot for their entire ecosystem: If they survive, so will many of the other species in their habitat.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Snow Leopard  |  National Geographic - Snow Leopard

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - ANIME - ACCUARATE AND LEAST ACCURATE

Did you know.... that while anime is usually known for being pretty over-the-top, filled with magic and mayhem, or technological dystopias, or pirates, or interesting magical objects, there are some anime that do a fairly good job at portraying actual historical periods in a way that's pretty true to life. Sometimes that means specific eras in Japan, telling the stories of actual heroes from Japan's history.

 

Sometimes it's about providing a look at period-specific attire. Sometimes, the anime is so historically accurate that western Japanese students creating fan-subs have to postpone the release of their translations of certain anime because the language is so archaic they didn't learn it in school. And sometimes, they're um... Not so accurate.

 

Most Accurate: Grave Of The Fireflies

 

Grave Of The Fireflies is well known for being both pretty historically accurate when it comes to the history of Japan's involvement in World War II, and their receipt of one of the most heinous military attacks in the world's history after atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

 

This movie isn't just known for how accurate it is though, it's literally one of the most soul-crushing watches you're likely to encounter if you decide to check it out. It tells the stories of Seita and Setsuko, our two protagonists who are doing their best to survive in the final few months of the war. While this movie is incredibly heart-wrenching, realizing that this is based on an actual historical occurrence makes it all the more important to watch.

 

Least Accurate: Spice And Wolf

 

Spice And Wolf is a historical fantasy that can't quite be considered one of the most accurate on this list, but it still does a pretty good job of being unique and fairly accurate at what it's attempting to do.

 

It takes place in a fictionalized version of the medieval European world, focusing mostly on things like politics, economics, and trade instead of any normal fantasy plot you might come to expect if you're looking at it from the outside in, like slaying mythological creatures, Arthurian legend, etc. While it isn't the most accurate in terms of setting, it's really still worth the watch if not just for its virtue of daring to tackle strange subject matter for its genre.

 

Most Accurate: Rose Of Versailles

 

The Rose Of Versailles is a historical fiction Shojo series that started as a manga, has been adapted to become a series of musicals, received an anime adaptation, and has received tons of accolades in whichever of its myriad forms. It tells the story of a woman raised as a man so that she could succeed her father as the captain of the royal guard.

 

There's a struggle brewing inside of her though. Does she remain in the ruling class to abide by her father's wishes, or should she leave the lap of luxury to aid the brewing revolution, led by the impoverished and malnourished populace of France before the revolution? This isn't the only problem she's dealing with either since she also has a variety of love interests.

 

Least Accurate: Rurouni Kenshin

 

Rurouni Kenshin is a great historical shonen series, even if the history most definitely isn't all the way where it should be. Almost the whole cast of characters is based on an actual historical person, but they aren't really portrayed very true to life whatsoever. It details a rogue assassin who left his life of murder and war to protect the folk in the countryside, vowing never again to take another life.

 

The setting is fairly accurate as far as history goes, what with the time of turmoil that was 1800s Japan being portrayed as such. There were constant exchanges of power from emperors to Shogunate, and the military might reign supreme. That being said, Kenshin's historical precursor never decided to abandon military life in the same way Kenshin did, and as such was executed.

 

Most Accurate: The Wind Rises

 

The Wind Rises is a biographical film made by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It's a somewhat fictionalized biopic of Jiro Horikoshi, who designed one of the most advanced Japanese warplanes that Japan had during the duration of World War II.

 

While it is indeed just a little bit exaggerated and played with since it's a Ghibli movie, after all, it sticks to the life of Horikoshi pretty closely, as well as working in a few historical points in Japan's history that Horikoshi wasn't directly involved in. It brings up a great earthquake, a tuberculosis outbreak, and even explores that Jiro himself wasn't at all in favor of the war and that his dream was to build beautiful aircraft. It's definitely more of a feel-good take on WWII than Grave Of The Fireflies was.

 

Least Accurate: Samurai Champloo

 

Samurai Champloo is an undisputed modern classic of anime, but it isn't necessarily because of how historically accurate it was as a depiction of the Edo period. Helmed by Shinichiro Watanabe, a master of anime known for his series Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, and countless other projects, Samurai Champloo is a highly-stylized tail about 2 samurai, their companion, and the search for the "Samurai that smells of sunflowers".

 

The Edo period ran from 1603 through to the year 1868 and is a really common setting for anime that's set in a historical Japanese period since it's such a transitory time for the country. While some details are definitely inspired by history here and there, the spin on the period kinda detracts from that.

 

Most Accurate: Kingdom

 

Kingdom, even though it takes place in a fictionalized retelling of an actual historical period, is a pretty good look at the ancient "Warring States" period of China, a period before a man named Qin and his son Zheng succeeded in unifying these disparate warring states under the single helm of an emperor for a great number of years.

 

Least Accurate: Vinland Saga

 

Although the use of the word Vinland in the title might suggest to the reader that it takes place in the bit of North America that was explored by Leif Ericcson, it actually takes place in Dane-occupied England at the beginning of the 1100s and tells the stories of Vikings, and of King Cnut The Great's rise to power, and the plan for revenge that Thorfinn has been planning.

 

Most Accurate: Hyouge Mono

Hyouge Mono is pretty much the Holy Grail of historical fiction anime since this is the one we were talking about when we mentioned that the language used in one of these anime was so complicated and outdated that Japanese students had trouble with the translation when they were writing a fan-sub.

 

It tells the story of a vassal to Oda Nobunaga, a man who attempted to unify Japan. This vassal must decide how to balance his subordination to his lord with his love for the peaceful art of the tea ceremony.

 

Least Accurate: Barefoot Gen

 

Barefoot Gen is a semi-autobiographical series that tells the story of a 6-year-old boy who struggles to survive in the time after the bombing of Japan at the end of World War II with the help of a couple of other survivors.

 

It shows the people he meets, the journeys of the other survivors, and the ways that they might have found to cope with the loss of their homes and the normal state of affairs they had lived in before the bombing. Some of the survivors even turn to a life of crime in an attempt to deal with the horrible poverty they find themselves faced with.

 

Source: Most and Least Historical Accurate Anime

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - MORE ABOUT ANIME

Did you know... that although it was once extremely foreign to Western children, a new generation of kids has grown up watching Japanese animated shows like Dragon Ball, Pokémon and Naruto, or watching movies like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Today, people all over the world are infatuated with anime, whether for its art style, its different from of storytelling, or simply because it’s produced so many classic works. Whether you’re a big fan ready to argue if the Attack on Titan anime lives up to the original manga, or if you’re a complete novice and are just wondering what this is all about, read on for 24 facts about the movies and TV shows that put this distinctive art form on the map.

 

Facts About Anime And Japanese Animation

Cadeem Lalor  |  Factinate  |  June 2018

 

1. Lost in Translation
Although most people know anime is Japanese, less might know what the word actually means. In English speaking countries, many resources might simply refer to it as an animation style developed in Japan. However, in Japanese the word “anime” is just a blanket term for all animation, and doesn’t necessarily refer to the specific style with which we here in the West associate it.

 

2. MVP

Akira (1988) is credited as the film that led to a second wave of anime-fandom in the West, and paved the way for properties like Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon. It has influenced directors such as Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and musicians like Kanye West, who did an homage to the movie in the music video for his hit song “Stronger” in 2007.

 

 

3. Looking Ahead
The anime industry is currently working at “full capacity,” which means all of the studios are already fully booked for projects. In this case, all of the studios are booked until the year 2020. Although this might sound like a good thing, this is expected to hamper growth in future years.

 

 

4. Going Strong
100 years after the first ever Japanese animated work, anime set a record year with earnings of $17.7 billion in 2017. Nearly half of Japanese domestic box office grosses came from the film Your Name. Overseas sales of broadcasting rights, DVDs etc. increased by almost a third, while licensing fees for mobile games have also been a key contributor to the industry’s growth.

 

 

5. Live Fast, Go Young
One of the main factors that might impede the anime industry going forward are the low wages paid to junior animators. Additionally, Japan’s large portion of older workers limits the amount of young people who are able to get their start in the industry.

 

 

6. Looks Good for its Age
Anime started gaining more popularity in the 1980s and ’90s, but it actually dates back to 1917 during the era of silent films.

 

 

7. The Real Anime
Although anime (with the Japanese definition as a generic term for animation) began in 1917, anime as industry experts and general audiences think of it, with its distinctive style, began with Astro Boy (1963-1975), which started as a manga before being adapted to television in the early ’60s. Prior to Astro Boy, issues such as financing made anime a peripheral focus in Japan. World War II developments such as censorship and economic woes then made it even more difficult for anime to expand. However, with Japan’s post war economic boom, TVs became more popular and anime began to become more and more widespread.

 

 

8. Cellular
Anime’s distinctive visual style began with “cel animation.” Cels are transparent sheets artists drew and painted on in order to create a single frame of animation by layering multiple cels together. Tezuka Osamu began to reuse cels and used fewer frames in order to cut down on production costs, because he realized that such fluid motion was not necessary to have audiences to connect with a film. “Full-animation” uses about 12-28 images per second, while Osamu’s early anime used about eight.

 

 

9.  Heads High
Although some anime characters might look over-the-top, anime actually aims for proportionality when drawing humans or humanoid characters, much more so than was usually the case with Western animation. A general rule in anime is that the average person is about seven heads tall. Also, women typically have longer legs and shorter torsos than men. A head that is too big or out of proportion for the body is usually reserved for a child or character that is meant to be child-like.

 

 

10. You Can’t Just Ask People Why They’re White
Many fans remark that anime characters look Caucasian to them, and will often stick with the logic that if the character looks white, then they must be white. Even if they have names like Light Yagami or Ichigo Kurosaki and live in Japan. Anime artists are trained in a method known as mukoseki (without nationality). Therefore, anime characters are not depicted with the racist, stereotypical markers Western audiences may be used to in portrayals of Asian characters, such as yellow skin and slanted eyes. Anime characters are drawn with more generic features, or features that Western audiences might think of as “white” ones, such as light skin and round eyes. Look at it this way, if you draw a stick person in America, people will likely assume it’s meant to be a white person unless you add some racial marker like brown skin. In Japan, white is not the default, so Japanese audiences do not assume the characters are white. Even if the character does not have a Japanese name, they were created by a Japanese person in Japan so there is a good chance they are meant to be, you know, Japanese.

 

 

Click the link below to read more on Anime and Japanese Animation

 

Source: Facts About Anime And Japanese Animation

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - JURASSIC PARK

 

Did you know... that Jurassic Park is a 1993 movie about a wildlife park that scientists populated with genetically engineered dinosaurs. The movie was written by Michael Crichton and David Koepp. Michael Crichton also wrote the novel Jurassic Park, released in 1990. The movie takes place on a fictional island near Costa Rica. Much of the filming of Jurassic Park took place in Hawaii and California. Many of the dinosaurs were life-sized animatronics. The film was so popular and well-received that it won many awards including three Academy Awards. The sequels to Jurassic Park have been very successful as well, including The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Jurassic Park III (2001), and Jurassic World (2015). Another movie is being scheduled for release in 2018.

 

Jurassic Park secrets and behind-the-scenes facts you never knew

BY TOM POWER  |  12/06/2018

 

 

Yes, Jurassic Park was released all the way back in 1993, which means that your childhood favourite just turned 25. A quarter of a century may have passed, but the franchise it spawned shows no signs of slowing down thanks to the recent release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. With dinosaurs in the air (literally), we've uncovered some of the more surprising behind-the-scenes moments from the original film and secrets that you may not have known.

 

1. It stayed unbelievably true to the source material

 

When writing the passage where the park's first guests listened to an audio guide in their jeep, author Michael Crichton envisaged veteran stage and screen performer Richard Kiley as the voice on the tape loop. Steven Spielberg wanted to stick to the source material as much as possible, so actually hired Kiley for the film adaptation, and it's his voice that viewers can hear playing through the jeeps' speakers.

 

2. The jeep attack scene happened by accident

 

Remember the terrifying moment when the T-Rex attacks Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joe Mazzello) in the jeep with only a piece of Plexiglas to protect them? It turns out that this scene wasn't supposed to go down that way, as Mazzello told Entertainment Weekly back in April 2013. "We were in that car, and I think the T-Rex was only supposed to go down so far, and the Plexiglas was the only thing between the dinosaur and us," he reminisced. The pair were so startled by the incident that their screams were genuine – shrieks that were so loud that Spielberg elected to keep them in the final cut.

 

3. Jeff Goldblum almost missed out on his legendary role

 

We may never have had the chance to see Jeff Goldblum's renowned portrayal of Dr. Ian Malcolm – or get that famous open-shirt scene – if Spielberg had opted for casting director Janet Hirshenon's other choice for the role. Jim Carrey was, in fact, frontrunner for the part after he had performed well during the audition phase, but Hirshenon eventually pushed for Goldblum – a decision that gave us his "life finds a way".

 

4. The man behind the iconic logo

 

Jurassic Park's logo is known by cinemagoers all over the globe, but just who is the person behind the famous image? That man is Chip Kidd, who designed the logo for the front cover of Michael Crichton's original novel after he was "particularly taken" with a T-Rex skeleton that he found inside a book he purchased from New York's Museum of Natural History. Film distributors Universal fell in love with the design and ended up buying the rights to it. The man himself told an audience during his 2012 TED talk that he was still as "thrilled" as ever that they selected his design.

 

5. The reason for Malcolm and Hammond's monochrome clothing

 

Ian Malcolm and John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) – found themselves at loggerheads during some scenes of Jurassic Park over Ingen's research. It's interesting to note, then, that the pair wore opposite-coloured clothes during the film's two-hour runtime – Malcolm dressed all in black and Hammond dressed in white. The story goes that Spielberg and Crichton saw the duo as representations of themselves, with Spielberg's positive and idealistic approach resembling Hammond – hence the white garments – and Crichton's cynical and scientific side defined by Malcolm and his dress code.

 

6. Spielberg's fat pay cheque

 

Spielberg wasn't sure that Jurassic Park would be a success, but he need not have worried as the dinosaur blockbuster became the highest-grossing film of all-time (for the time…) He earned his fair slice of the pie too, earning a whopping $250m thanks to a back-end deal that saw him scoop up a sizeable portion of cash from profits and total gross of merchandise sales. Reportedly, no other director had made as much money from one movie as Spielberg did, though James Cameron has probably since overtaken that record with his alleged $350m Avatar pay cheque.

 

7. The computer program ahead of its time

 

During one scene, Lex performs a reboot of the computer system's Unix Interface after the sneaky Dennis Nedry cuts the park's power earlier in the film. The program on the monitor may look fake, but it is actually a real-life 3D browser that was made by now defunct manufacturer Silicon Graphics. Named Fusion – or FSN for short – it was ahead of its time for 1993, but goes to show just how advanced technology has become since Jurassic Park was initially released with those dated graphics.

 

8. Even animatronic dinosaurs can be dangerous

 

It's very rare that an actor, stunt person or crew member dies on-set in a freak accident, but sometimes such tragedies do occur. One such incident almost happened during the building of the animatronic T-Rex but, luckily for one team member, tragedy was avoided. Adam Scott was inside the robotic dinosaur gluing skin to its frame when the power – keeping the hydraulics in place – turned off in the studio, resulting in the T-Rex moving into its powered-down position. Miraculously, Scott's position inside ensured that any metal sheets or pistons narrowly missed him, and he escaped without any serious injuries after his colleagues managed to literally pry the T-Rex's jaws open.

 

9. Rain, rain, go away

 

It's no secret that during filming a devastating hurricane hit Kauai Island, Hawaii, and forced the cast and crew to take shelter for a few days until it subsided. The elements didn't just interrupt filming, but also played a key part in the crew struggling to get their animatronic T-Rex to work as the rain kept causing the robot to malfunction. The precipitation also soaked the animatronic' 'skin' and caused the T-Rex's head to droop and shake due to the additional weight – a nightmare for those operating it during key scenes such as the iconic sequence with the attack on the jeeps.

 

10. The joke that made the final cut

 

Mr. DNA – the animated character that explained how dinosaurs were genetically engineered in a child-friendly way – was another part of Jurassic Park that almost never saw the light of day. Screenwriter David Koepp told Entertainment Weekly that the character originally started out as a joke between himself and Spielberg, but eventually seemed like the most logical way to discuss dinosaur DNA extraction from mosquitoes. He quipped: "I remember Steven and I were wrestling with that very issue, about the DNA, and one of us said, 'What are we supposed to do? Have a little animated character called Mr. DNA?' And the other one said, 'Yes! That's exactly what we're going to do!'"

 

11. Toilet humour is no joke for Laura Dern

 

Laura Dern, who played Dr. Ellie Sattler, undergoes a transformation from scientist to all-action hero throughout her Jurassic Park arc, and has been lauded for her badass portrayal of the character ever since. Unfortunately for Dern, she is still only seen by many kids as the "the girl who put her hand in the dinosaur poo" – according to quotes carried by Moviefone – as Sattler looked to get to the bottom of one sick Triceratops' illness. Children apparently refuse to shake her hand to this day too, as they don't believe she's ever washed it. That's the first and last time Dern has put her hand in poop, then – and with good reason.

 

12. Feathers are still a no-go

 

Feathered dinosaurs have been a topic of hot conversation in the scientific world, with plenty of archaeologists now believing that some were covered in plumage. Back in 1993, such evidence wasn't yet popularly accepted and resulted in Spielberg rejecting suggestions that he blanket Jurassic Park's reptiles in feathers. That was in spite of on-set dinosaur expert Dr. 'Jack' Horner – the real-life inspiration behind Dr. Alan Grant – pushing Spielberg to do so. The director felt that scaly dinosaurs would be scarier than their feathery counterparts.

 

13. The coolest Easter egg in Jurassic Park

 

The other main dinosaur stars of Jurassic Park – the velociraptors – are present during the geekiest Easter egg moment in the entire flick. During one climactic scene when the cast try to escape via a ceiling duct, one velociraptor stands in front of a projection of a repeating sequence of the letters A, C, T and G. The letters stand for the amino acids adenine, cytosine, thymine and guanine – the four base proteins that make up DNA.

Source: Wikipedia - Jurassic Park  |  Jurassic Park, Secrets and Facts Trivia